Report Critical Incidents (Southern Miss CARES)

CARES: Campus Action Referral and Evaluation System

The CARE System contributes to the climate of academic success at The University of Southern Mississippi. It promotes a healthy lifestyle and contributes to a safe and secure campus by:

• Facilitating rapid assessment and effective referral of students with mental health issues and behavioral issues
• Assisting and supporting students to optimize their performance in the academic environment
• Reducing risk of harm to self or others
• Contributing to a safe and productive living and learning environment for our students, faculty and staff
• Educating and training students, faculty and staff to recognize students in need of referral

Four components of CARES

• CARES Team:
  A multi-disciplinary team of student affairs and academic affairs professionals that addresses current student concerns and creates protocols and procedures surrounding student behavior and mental health issues
• Critical Incident Response Team:
  A quick-response team that immediately responds to campus crisis situations. The team performs threat assessments, makes recommendations and interventions in regard to issues of campus safety.
• CARES Advisory Team:
  Campus representatives who act as liaisons between the CARES team and the campus community
• Campus Connections:
  Provides gatekeeper training and education for students, parents, faculty and staff regarding the issues of safety and mental health in our campus community